Hytner re-visits past glories at the National
Yesterday’s Press conference at the National to announce the theatre’s annual report — all’s well, no complaints, sponsorship levels fine, another £10 ticket season from Travelex — was enlivened by Nicholas Hytner’s future programme plans.
These include three classics previously staged by the NT — Phaedra, Danton’s Death and Mother Courage; the first with Diana Rigg in Tony Harrison’s translation, the second directed by Jonathan Miller, the third with Madge Ryan directed by William Gaskill — and an old J B Priestley warhorse, Time and the Conways, which will no doubt see Rupert Goold, making his NT debut, doing a “number” on it similar to the revelatory re-tread of An Inspector Calls by Stephen Daldry.
But a faint feeling that the repertoire could be more adventurously explored was subsumed in the overall sense of excitement at the prospect of All’s Well directed by Marianne Elliott, Fiona Shaw playing Brecht’s Mother (despite a routine groan of dyspeptic displeasure from Charles “Brecht-baiter” Spencer) and Rufus Norris, another NT debutant, taking on Wole Soyinka’s masterpiece Death and the King’s Horseman.
Hytner also revealed that Margaret Tyzack, playing the nurse Oenone to Helen Mirren’s Phaedra in the Ted Hughes translation, might manage to gain the show’s one laugh by saying that she had to go shopping in Argos.
The director then confirmed that he would be staying at the NT “at least until” 2012 and that there were no advanced plans for what might be the theatre’s contribution to the cultural Olympiad. And he dropped a clear hint that David Hare’s Gethsemane was likely to transfer from the Cottesloe to the West End rather than into the Lyttelton.
At which point, Paul Taylor of the Independent treated us all to his views on David Hare, the new Christopher Shinn play (which he claims out-smarts Hare at his own game) and the fallacy that historical drama is set in the past, or that prophetic plays are not necessarily un-historical…or at least I think that’s what he was saying. Hytner humoured him patiently.
Hytner himself then went interestingly off-piste to plug the Discovery web-site that shows you how to paint scenery or hang the stage lights, and I made a note to pass this on to Michael Billington, who is about to direct a Harold Pinter bill at Lamda.
A very pleasant gathering then adjourned over cold drinks and sandwiches and I took the chance to walk back over Waterloo Bridge in the sunshine with Robert Butler, formerly the critic on the Independent on Sunday.
Sometimes these occasions are as much fun as going to the theatre itself, though that thought was soon dispersed by the knock-out performance of Ivanov a few hours later at the Wyndham’s. Even that very fine National Theatre Ivanov of a few years back, Owen Teale, had to admit to me in the interval that this version was a bit special. Now I must go and find out what Paul Taylor thinks of it…
September 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Another bid by Coveney to be ” A better critic than the rest.” The Paul taylor dig is deeply unpleasant. He’s a far more insightful and witty reviewer.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I’ve never made any claims for myself as a critic, Rick, that’s for other to judge, but I bow to no-one in my admiration for Paul Taylor. It’s interesting and somehow funny, though, that we learned as much about Paul’s views as we did of Hytner’s yesterday, which is fine, but not what the occasion was for, really. That’s the point I was making, and I don’t think of it as a dig, even if you do.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
It neither came over as wryly amusing or an affectionate tribute . Simply bitchy and smug. I’m sure it’ll be water off a ducks back to Mr Taylor though. After all he has a prestigiouis job writing for a daily broadsheet. I doubt your observations even register.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Now I regret responding in the first place to old Rick; thanks, anyway, for putting me in my place. Very thoughtful of you. My reputation’s in ruins.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Stamp that little foot why don’t you x
September 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
OK. Hope I miss the dog dirt. Who the hell are you, anyway?
September 18th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
It’s not very professional to keep responding in this vein. I think you should stop before you make a complete fool of yourself.
You wrote the blog - I didn’t like what you wrote - I was invited to make a comment - end of story. If you are up for sharing your insights in cyber space you need to start taking the rough with the smooth…. and not throw a bizarre hissy fit. Dogs dirt? Reputations in ruins? Please grow up.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
“The Paul taylor dig is deeply unpleasant.” Oh for goodness sake - a tad snide, yes, perhaps an unnecessary digression, if evidently designed to set the scene, but ‘deeply unpleasant’? Get over yourself, Rick Reagan whoever indeed you are - and hey, here’s the news, if you write vicious drivel under someone’s post they’re fully entitled to take issue with it. Mind you, if WOS users are so deluded as to think every blog post entails a personal invitation to them to make a heap of ill-tempered comments (’I was invited to make a comment’ - no, let’s be clear, you ‘can’ submit a comment, no one specifically ‘invited’ YOU..), then scrap the comments tool, I say. It makes the site look far less ‘prestigiouis’ (sic) than it in fact is. Keep up the good work, Covers…
September 19th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Thrilled you agree Cov is a tad snide,
You see I think theatre blogs belong in the realm of people on the fringes of the theatre world….or just entering it…..not tthose so name droppingly on the inside……..or the outside of the inside as a so called critic will always be……..how many gifts nods or winks they get from the lloyd webber mackintosh set.
One persons vicious is anotther’s honest. And I think a pro should restrain themselves don’t you? Of course this is an on line ’speak into the ether’ sort of situation. so it sort of doesnt matter. Not really a professional context or situation.
Happy readinh Sputnik
September 19th, 2008 at 1:24 am
Hope I miss the dog dirt, by the way, will always be my fabourite non riposte!
October 30th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Excellent blog and very interesting information. And the information actual for today? http://pis-dec.ru/mapp.html
December 13th, 2009 at 1:23 am
For all that Coveney may think that Osborne and his contemporaries were a dead end, he doesn’t half like to come on like a character from an Osborne play. He’s a bit young for the part, admittedly, but he chips in admirably:
“It’s interesting and somehow funny, though, that we learned as much about Paul’s views as we did of Hytner’s yesterday, which is fine, but not what the occasion was for, really. That’s the point I was making, and I don’t think of it as a dig, even if you do.”
MICHAEL COVENEY
Look at these eyes. I’m dead - behind these eyes. I’m dead.
“Now I regret responding in the first place to old Rick; thanks, anyway, for putting me in my place. Very thoughtful of you. My reputation’s in ruins.”
MICHAEL COVENEY
Look at these eyes. I’m dead - behind these eyes. I’m dead.
“OK. Hope I miss the dog dirt. Who the hell are you, anyway?”
MICHAEL COVENEY
Look at these eyes. I’m dead - behind these eyes. I’m dead.